Great blue heron rescued after being tangled in fishing line, hanging from tree
Great blue heron rescued after being tangled in fishing line
A great blue heron became entangled in fishing line and was left hanging in trees in Brevard County until a passerby stepped in to help.
VIERA, Fla. - A great blue heron became entangled in fishing line and was left hanging in trees in Brevard County until a passerby stepped in to help.
The bird was spotted near Murrell Road and Viera Blvd. by Gary Pinsker, who noticed it struggling during a bike ride.
The fishing line had wrapped around its legs — and at one point its neck — leaving the heron stretched and visibly stressed as it tried to break free.
What they're saying:
Pinsker said the bird thrashed as it fought the line.
"Like a blender with wings, it was going insane," he said. "At one point, it actually had this wrapped around its neck."
He called the Florida Wildlife Hospital and waited for rescuers. The heron spent about 30 minutes trying to free itself before falling from the tree. It was unable to fly, and Pinsker feared it had broken its legs.
"I thought it had broken legs," he said.
Veterinarians later determined the injuries were not severe.
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"Mostly superficial injuries, nothing major, which is awesome," said Tracy Frampton, executive director of the Florida Wildlife Hospital. "His legs were kind of banged up, and his wings had some minor trauma on it."
Frampton said the bird had been hanging upside down by its legs after becoming tangled in discarded fishing line.
The heron is now receiving medication and resting as it recovers from the ordeal. The wildlife hospital is optimistic it can be released back into the wild in the coming weeks.
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Pinsker later returned to the area where he found the bird and discovered the fishing line believed to have caused the entanglement. He removed it and hopes others will do the same.
"It is definitely a problem. They just get left out in the environment," Frampton said.
Pinsker urged anglers to properly dispose of fishing line. "When fishing, you really need to police yourself," he said. "You need to take your cut line with you, because if you don’t, it ends up someplace it shouldn’t."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Gary Pinsker, who noticed the great blue heron struggling during a bike ride, and Tracy Frampton, executive director of the Florida Wildlife Hospital.